Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-04-16
The LAST OF THE sUFFALoEs.
Not over Six Hundred of Them Let
IN the United states.

was told when / came here two
months ago that if l wanted to find out
what was trustworthy concerning the
determination of the buffalo, Captain
Jack Bridg.s was the mau 10 see
writes an FL PasO CORES pondent of III,
NeW York San. As Bridges was then
hunting in the Seralers mountains in
Mexico, / took the cars to Gallego.
where, through the courtesy of f. E.
Comfort, superintendent of the Mexican
Central railroad company, was pro-
vided with an inoffensive broncho to
ride over to Bridges camp. some thir-
iy-eight miles.
Captain Jack, who for years pas, has
been one Of the most d.stingu shed and
fearless hunters in the west, was the
first man to make contract to provide
a large number OF buffalo hides. The
idea suggested itself to q pelt-dealing
firm in Leavenworth. Kansas. who sent
for Bridges, telling him TO procure L.
200 hides at once, as they wished to try
them in the English market. Bridges
signed the contract, aud hiring lot of
'sknners,' began his destructive war
fare against the bison. In five weeks
and four DAYS he killed with his own
hand /, 1i3 bulfaloes, and the hides of
these animals constituted the first ship
ment of buffalo robes to Europe While
the contract was very lucrative, owing
TO the great abundance Of he animals,
the slaughter disgusted Bridges, who
was n natural. born sportsman, so much
that he refused 10 be instrumental in
the future in any wholesale destruction
of good meat. He SAYS that he has on.
ly been sorry but once for what he did,
and that has been ALWAYS. Since then
he has killed about SIX thousand head,
but only when meat was required bv
the different expeditions for which he
was guide. Having shot buffalo from
Br fish Columbia to Texas. and having
lived for the last thirty-five wears on
the great game ranges of the west he
is well quail fed to speak authoritative
ly on the subject.
''As far as l know" said Bridges.
when talking on the subject. land |
try TO keep myself posted, there are not
over sX hundred buffaloes left in the
United States. There are about two
hundred in the Yellowstone park, and
these will be sole survivors in year or
two. In the panhandle of Texas there
are about one hundred; these do not
include those on the ranch of Charley
Goodnight, who has Il lot of them semi.
domeSticated. Goojnight's ranch is
aear Vernon, in Armstrong county.
There are about one hundred and ten
10 Kansas and Ind an Territory, five OF
iN IN Colorado, ten IN Montana. and !
i've in Dakota. The others are in lit !
lie herd in an out of-the-way place, |
which do not wish made public"
This, then, sums up the buffaloes I
left?"
Eyes. though there may be a strag-
Cling pair or in southern Texas. | am |
iold that two old bulls were seen south /
Of san Anton o the other day. and that 4
they were followed up and one killed. .
But | have been told twice recently, /
once by an Apache and the other time
by Waco Indian, that on the big
plains. five hundred miles south of here,
in n country but very rarely travelled.
there is very large herd. / will know
soon. for [ am going down there this
spring. But the drought has been SO
severe in Mexico this season that the
game has suffered terribly, and has had
10 travel many miles for water"